Simplified Preparation of Blood Hemolysates for Hemoglobin Electrophoresis

Hemolysates made directly from unwashed red cells or unwashed blood clots can be used successfully for screening populations for abnormal hemoglobins by starch-gel electrophoresis. The cells or clot, mixed with an equal volume of water, are frozen overnight or longer, and the resulting supernatant hemolysate used directly for electrophoresis. The simplified procedure has been used to identify several abnormal hemoglobins including A+E, A+H, A+J, and electrophoretically fast fetal hemoglobins. The principal advantages of the procedure include substantial economy in time and increased flexibility in sample collection and storage. The method is particularly useful with small blood samples collected without venipuncture.